Will US immigration policies create ‘chilling effect’ on World Cup?
The FIFA World Cup has long been seen and billed itself as a nonpolitical tournament. But that label is being put to the test, thanks to the restrictive immigration agenda of President Donald Trump's administration.
Kicking off on June 11 in Mexico City, the World Cup will bring 48 national teams to compete against each other in 16 cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada. It is expected to be the largest tournament in history, drawing 6.5 million fans to stadiums across those three countries.
In the United States, where Miami, Los Angeles and nine other cities will host 78 of the 104 total matches, legal and policy experts anticipate that the Trump administration’s rules for entry into the country could impose significant challenges on some foreign visitors.
“Whether it’s the partial travel bans or the full travel bans that have been announced by the current administration, or the visa bonds, which have been recently expanded, there are more complexities and more complications these individuals are going to come by,” says Gabriel Castro, a senior associate and head of the sports and entertainment practice at corporate immigration law firm BAL in Los Angeles.
Gabriel Castro is a senior associate and head of the sports and entertainment practice at corporate immigration law firm BAL in Los Angeles. (Photo courtesy of BAL)
The Trump administration started restricting the entry of citizens in June 2025. As of Jan. 1, there is a full travel ban on 19 countries and the Palestinian Authority and a partial travel ban on another 19 countries. Citizens of countries who are subject to either ban cannot obtain B-1 or B-2 visitor visas, which are visas for temporary travel to the United States.
While Haiti, Iran, Senegal and the Ivory Coast are the four World Cup-qualified countries impacted by these restrictions, Castro notes that the Trump administration has made an exception for athletes, their immediate relatives, and team coaches and support staff.
“But it doesn’t extend past that,” says Castro, adding that an athlete from one of those four countries would probably not be able to bring their grandmother to the World Cup. “They can apply for national interest exceptions, but those are going to be uphill battles.”
The Trump administration has said exceptions to its travel bans could be made in situations that “would serve a United States national interest.”
In the current environment, it’s important to carefully assess the visa restrictions and how they might affect fans who want to attend the World Cup, says Mohammad A. Syed, a principal attorney at Offit Kurman in Tysons Corner, Virginia.
“Immigration lawyers can help those travelers figure out if there’s a way to get them a waiver, if there’s some strategy there, or if there’s an alternative way to plan so that they can watch games in Canada or Mexico,” says Syed, a member of the ABA Commission on Immigration’s advisory committee.
The Trump administration also expanded its visa bond program this year. Under the program, citizens of 50 countries must post a bond of up to $15,000 before receiving a visa to travel to the United States. It impacts five World Cup-qualified countries—Algeria, Cape Verde, the Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia.
“The visa bond is one of those policies that I think flew under the radar a little bit,” says Juan Avilez, a state and local policy associate at the American Immigration Council in Washington, D.C. He notes that while foreign visitors should receive a full refund if they comply with their visa terms, it could be difficult for some to pay $15,000 up front on top of other travel costs.
While foreign fans were initially subject to the visa bond program, the Trump administration announced last week that it would suspend the requirement for confirmed World Cup ticket holders.
Juan Avilez is a state and local policy associate at the American Immigration Council in Washington, D.C.
Front of the line
Attendees of the World Cup may face other challenges with the complex U.S. immigration system.
A significant hurdle for some is understanding all the options for entry into the United States and which one is right for them, Syed says.
For instance, players also could apply for the P-1A visa, which is a visa for internationally recognized athletes, Syed explains. Journalists or documentary filmmakers who plan to cover the World Cup need to obtain an I visa, which is for members of the foreign media. And depending on their situation, corporate sponsors, vendors and event production crews may need to request visas that allow them to work temporarily in the United States.
“You’ve seen a lot of cases in the press about this very extreme vetting and people who have been accustomed to traveling freely in and out of the U.S. in past years getting caught off guard,” says Syed, who helps clients not only apply for visas but prepare for any questions they may encounter when entering the country.
“They’re just, generally, experiencing a lot more scrutiny,” he adds.
Persistent visa backlogs could pose another challenge for international travelers, adds Dan Schwarz, a partner and head of the sports practice at Fragomen in New York City.
“In some countries, appointment availability is not great,” Schwarz says. “They’re months and months out from being able to secure a B visa.”
The U.S. State Department tracks global visa wait times. For World Cup fans in Casablanca, Morocco, the next available B-1 and B-2 visa interview appointment is in three months. For those in Bogota, Colombia, the next available appointment is in eight and a half months.
Immigration attorneys can help with booking visa appointments, to the extent they’re not available through an embassy or consulate website, Schwarz says. They can also identify other options that could make it easier for some fans to travel to the United States.
For instance, citizens of more than three dozen countries can travel to the United States for business or tourism without obtaining a visa under its visa waiver program.
Another new option is the FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System, or FIFA PASS, which provides fans who purchase World Cup tickets directly from FIFA a chance to schedule their visa interview appointment before the start of the tournament.
“If you’re a spectator, and you’re trying to get a B visa but you can’t because there’s no appointments, this is a process to jump ahead of the line,” Schwarz says.
Along with securing their visas as soon as possible, Syed recommends that international travelers have “an emergency legal response plan” in case their visa is denied or they are asked to undergo a secondary inspection once arriving in the United States.
“They need to be prepared with legal advice to deal with these situations that might come as a surprise,” he says.
Foreign fans also need to prepare for increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity near the World Cup stadiums, Avilez says. He notes that Todd Lyons, ICE’s acting director, said earlier this year that his agents will play a role in the security at the tournament.
In general, international visitors should keep copies of their immigration documents and identification with them at all times, Castro says. He adds that his firm also has emergency numbers their clients can call if needed.
While potential ICE enforcement could deter some fans from even traveling to the United States, it could prevent others from attending games with family members who live in the country and fear being detained, Avilez says.
“There will be a chilling effect,” Avilez says. “This World Cup is supposed to be the culmination of the contributions of all these immigrants and how beautifully they’ve helped the sport grow in the United States. But unfortunately, it’s being marred by the administration’s immigration enforcement actions and policies.”
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